After Becoming a Concubine, I Took Down the Princess - Chapter 9

Liang Xiao led the wronged Yan Heng back to the palace, instructed a maid to fetch an outfit of hers, and handed it to Yan Heng behind the screen.

“Are you truly that docile, letting Consort Yu harass you?” Liang Xiao dismissed the maidservants, leaving only her and Yan Heng in the room.

They were about the same height; Liang Xiao was slightly taller than Yan Heng, but the clothes fit her quite well.

“Her rank is higher than mine, what can I do besides swallow my pride?” Yan Heng couldn’t help but complain while changing clothes, “That Master better appear quickly; I really can’t stand the infighting among you humans.”

Liang Xiao scoffed, “Didn’t they say foxes are the most cunning? Why do I find you utterly foolish.”

Yan Heng was annoyed. After changing her clothes, she came out, sat on the couch, grabbed a cup of tea, and drank it down in one gulp.

Liang Xiao refilled her cup and said, “Consort Yu is already favored. She was demoted to Imperial Concubine Xu in the early years. After her rank was restored, His Majesty, to compensate her, spoiled her even more exceptionally.”

Yan Heng munched on a piece of pastry, making “wuwuwu” sounds to indicate she understood.

“Be smarter in the future. Don’t be so foolish as to do whatever she tells you,” Liang Xiao’s mood brightened as she watched her eat happily.

Finally, she instructed, “I helped you today. Consort Yu will probably realize you are close to me, and she will restrain herself.”

Yan Heng ate her fill in Liang Xiao’s palace, then slowly walked towards Jingning Palace with Hua Zi.

Suddenly, a little palace maid rushed towards them, saying, “Beauty Yan, you have made this servant search for you!”

Yan Heng was puzzled, “Why are you looking for me?”

The little maid kept her guessing, instead saying, “Please follow me. Consort Chen and the others are waiting for you.”

Yan Heng: … No way, are they going to cause trouble for me again?

Although she felt a little nervous, the thought that Liang Xiao would support her emboldened her considerably.

Yan Heng was still pondering what she should do if she truly encountered difficulties, but when she arrived at Consort Chen’s palace, she was stunned.

“Sister is here? Quick, quick, quick, three are waiting for one! We’ve been waiting for ages.” Consort Chen’s eyes lit up the moment she saw her. She quickly pulled out a chair and kept beckoning Yan Heng to sit down.

Yan Heng walked closer and saw the porcelain tiles neatly stacked on the table. Only then did she realize—these people were so eager to find her because they wanted to play cards!

Before Yan Heng could react, Consort Chen took her hand and led her to a seat: “This game is so much fun! Come and try it quickly!”

“Sister, do you know how to play?” asked the other person, Consort Zhang, shuffling the tiles with eyes full of anticipation.

Yan Heng stiffly nodded.

She did know how to play the porcelain tiles. There was a set on Flowing Cloud Mountain, and she, her brother, and her parents would play a round when they were free.

But—

Why were the Imperial Consorts playing this? Weren’t they all from prominent families? How could they be involved with something so common?

“It’s great that Sister knows how to play. Besides the three of us, only Noble Lady Zhou knows how, and she said she felt unwell a few days ago, so she hasn’t come,” Consort Chen said happily.

Yan Heng was truly puzzled and couldn’t help but ask, “Sisters, why do you all play this?”

If she called them “Sisters” at her age, they might lose years off their lives.

The tiles were already stacked. Beauty Wan, drawing a tile, said, “It’s too boring in the palace. We don’t have the Emperor’s favor, so without this to pass the time, wouldn’t we die of boredom?”

Yan Heng nodded knowingly—Consort Yu was likely so favored that whenever the Emperor visited the Harem, he was either with her or on his way to see her, making it difficult for the other concubines to get a share.

The maidservants of the group closed the door and went outside to keep watch.

One hour later.

“Hu (Win)!” Yan Heng pushed down the tiles in front of her and held out her hand to Consort Zhang, “Sister, you promised the jade bracelet. No backing out.”

Consort Zhang reluctantly took off the bracelet on her wrist and grudgingly put it into Yan Heng’s hand.

In just one hour, Yan Heng had won all the hairpins, bracelets, and jewelry they were wearing.

She happily told Hua Zi to pack up the things and was ready to shuffle the tiles and start another round.

Beauty Wan stood up: “Oh, Sister, I just remembered I need to go back to my palace to feed my little goldfish. No more playing, no more playing.”

Consort Zhang followed closely behind her: “I’ll go check on mine too.”

Consort Chen, looking defeated, said, “I’m too tired today. Sister, you should go back and rest too.”

Yan Heng had no choice but to give up. Before leaving, she reluctantly tugged at Consort Chen’s sleeve and said, “Sister, remember to call me next time you play porcelain tiles.”

Consort Chen thought to herself, Who would dare call you again? I’ve only saved up this much jewelry in five or six years in the palace; my entire savings are almost gone.

As night fell, Yan Heng washed up and sat on the small couch, sorting through the treasures she had won one by one.

“Hua Zi, the sisters in the Harem are so nice. Not only did they invite me to play, but they were also generous with their stakes.”

Hua Zi looked at the pile of jewelry stacked into a small mountain on the table and thought, They probably won’t dare to call you again.

Yan Heng picked up a pair of jade earrings and put them into Hua Zi’s hand: “Consort Yu gave us trouble today; you suffered with me.”

Hua Zi was flattered and accepted: “Thank you for the gift, Beauty.”

Yan Heng didn’t have her ears pierced, so she couldn’t use these beautiful earrings. She picked out several more inconspicuous items and gave them all to Hua Zi.

When Yan Heng was first conferred a title, the Emperor had originally assigned several people to serve her, but Yan Heng thought of Hua Zi, whom she had met at Xiyuan House. Although they hadn’t been together for many days, Hua Zi was quick and efficient, so Yan Heng pleaded with Liang Shu to have Hua Zi brought out from Xiyuan House to serve her.

Soon after sitting in the room, the Empress Dowager’s gugu (a form of address for an older female palace attendant), Yan Ling, arrived with a lamp, instructing her to get ready for the Emperor’s sleeping accompaniment.

Yan Heng sighed inwardly, got up, and prepared for her bath.

She possessed a demonic technique that allowed her to create an illusion for Liang Shu, making him believe he had favored Yan Heng. In reality, Yan Heng would spend the night miserably on the small couch in the Qianyuan Hall.

Having to make do in that uncomfortable spot tonight again made Yan Heng feel extremely frustrated. She wondered when the Emperor would finally tire of her.

She sat numbly in the bathtub, listening to Hua Zi comb her hair and flatter her: “Mistress has been summoned to serve the Emperor three times in half a month. His Majesty truly likes you.”

Yan Heng played with a petal in her hand: “Someone else can have this good fortune; I can’t bear it.”

The small couch in Qianyuan Hall was originally for the eunuchs and palace maids who stood watch overnight. When a concubine accompanied the Emperor, it was vacated. After deceiving the Emperor, Yan Heng sadly relocated herself there.

Yan Heng stared at the ceiling beam, unable to sleep for a long time. The Emperor, with his eyes closed, was still immersed in the illusion of a beauty in his arms that Yan Heng had created.

If nothing else, her illusionary technique was top-notch; many elders in her clan were not as skilled as her.

In the darkness, Yan Heng let out a faint sigh—the cultivation of the demon-slayers in the world was too deep. If they caught her, she definitely wouldn’t survive, otherwise, Yan Heng wouldn’t be using her magic so cautiously.

The next morning, Yan Heng woke up on schedule, deliberately messed up her clothes, and then slipped into the Emperor’s quilt.

It was almost time for Liang Shu to get up, and Yan Heng hadn’t been lying there long before he woke up.

While being dressed, Liang Shu touched her face and asked, “The summer heat is severe lately. I plan to go to the temporary palace for a while. Do you want to come?”

Yan Heng suppressed her nausea and pretended to be shy, saying, “Does Your Majesty still need to ask this concubine when you’ve already made a decision?”

Liang Shu smiled and said, “I certainly need to ask for your thoughts.”

“If Your Majesty goes, this concubine will naturally go,” Yan Heng straightened the collar of his dragon robe.

“Then go back to your palace and pack up. We’ll set off in a few days,” Liang Shu said.

At least she could get out of the palace for a change. After serving the old Emperor, Yan Heng returned to her room in the palace, and her mood instantly improved significantly.

Consort Chen came over with a box of pastries to chat: “His Majesty said he’s taking a few of us along too.”

Yan Heng excitedly said, “Then, Sister, can you secretly bring the porcelain tiles?”

Consort Chen: … Impossible, I can’t afford to lose.

She made an excuse: “The porcelain tiles are numerous and bulky. They clatter loudly when carried and are easily discovered.”

Yan Heng pouted with disappointment.

The day for the trip to the temporary palace was a lovely day, sunny with a gentle breeze, so it wasn’t stuffy in the carriage.

A lot of people were taken on this trip. Yan Heng saw Consort Yu and the Ninth Prince, Liang Mu.

Liang Mu had just turned five years old at the beginning of the year and was much more likable than his mother. Seeing that little dumpling from afar, Yan Heng felt like pinching his cheeks.

Liang Xiao, however, maintained a cold demeanor. She seemed to always be like this. The palace servants attending her also looked fearful, terrified that one wrong move might get them killed by this “notorious” Princess.

Yan Heng was not only unafraid of her but, because of the time they spent together in childhood, even found Liang Xiao quite endearing.

She was probably crazy to so easily trust Liang Xiao based solely on the time they spent together nine years ago. Anyone would call her gutsy.

The bad things people talked about might genuinely have been done by Liang Xiao; otherwise, why would everyone keep their distance from her?

The temporary palace was named Yize Palace. Inside the palace was a large lake. In the evening, the breeze by the lake was exceptionally pleasant.

Yan Heng’s residence was slightly further from the Emperor’s. After all, her rank was low, and the closer residences were assigned to the Consorts and Imperial Concubines. Yan Heng was quite satisfied with this arrangement, as she truly didn’t want to serve Liang Xiao’s father.

Because of this, the Emperor hadn’t favored her for some time, and instead, Consort Chen and the others had seen an increase in their attendance time.

When they saw Yan Heng, their faces were flushed with excitement, as their lives had become much more comfortable now that they had received favor.

After lunch that day, Yan Heng went for a walk alone in the palace grounds.

She actually disliked having people follow her; it made everything inconvenient. Since she had also eaten a bit too much today, she simply told Hua Zi and the others to stay in the palace and went out by herself.

The scenery in the garden was indeed better than in the Imperial Palace, where everything was golden and resplendent, but became visually tiring after a while.

The gardens and landscapes here were elegant. Tree shadows lined the winding paths, and butterflies fluttered about. The scenery was beautiful, but—it was easy to get lost.

She had been wandering for half an hour and still couldn’t find the way back.

All the stone paths looked exactly the same. Even though she used to roam freely in the forest, she was now confused.

After turning onto an unknown path, a row of low houses suddenly appeared before Yan Heng.

The houses had peeling plaster on the exterior and were gray, clashing with the beauty of Yize Palace.

Yan Heng bravely walked over, thinking she might find someone who knew the way.

The row of low houses had several rooms, all with closed doors, but the doors weren’t covered in dust, indicating that people still lived here.

“Excuse me, is anyone here?” Yan Heng stood outside the low houses and asked cautiously.

No one answered. It was midday, so even if people were around, they were likely resting.

She pouted and prepared to leave when she suddenly heard rustling sounds from behind her. Yan Heng’s hearing was sharp, and she immediately turned to locate the source of the sound—it seemed to be coming from behind the houses.

Yan Heng suddenly recalled the folk tales she read as a child, which said that these old houses were the most prone to being haunted.

Her heart immediately leaped into her throat.

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